10 Security Trends to Look for in 2016

Ransomware

Ransomware is likely to grow substantially in 2016.

Current estimates from the Cyber Threat Alliance put the damage caused by CryptoWall ransomware at $325 million, up 1800 percent since the FBI's report in June 2015, said Stu Sjouwerman, founder and CEO of KnowBe4. This type of threat usually comes from clicking a link in a phishing email, thereby infecting your machine or your network and encrypting your files with a sophisticated unbreakable encryption. If your systems are not backed up, said Sjouwerman, your data will be lost or worthless unless you pay the ransom. Even the FBI recommends you pay up, so why wouldn't the criminals put a greater emphasis on this money maker?

2014 was known as The Year of the Breach. It could be that 2015 will be known as The Year of the Really Big Breaches. Or perhaps it will be remembered as the year that mobile malware really began to make a statement or cyberespionage entered the American lexicon. If nothing else, the year that is ending was the one when everyone, from executives to the average citizen, became aware of how much damage a cyberattack can cause.

So what is on the horizon for 2016? Most experts expect to see continued growth in mobile malware and even more security breaches, especially in the health care and financial industries. The PIN and chip EMV standard is still too new and not well-enough implemented for anyone to have a good feel on what effect it will have on credit card security. We'll always have new strains of malware and innovative phishing attacks. Those are the easy predictions.

Here are 10 security trends that the experts think we should keep an eye on in 2016.

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